Latticed elastic shoe cover with cleats

ABSTRACT

Slip resistant covers are presented. An especially preferred slip-resistant cover includes an elastic shoe cover comprising a latticed surface that allows the shoe cover to stretch further than would ordinarily be possible if the shoe cover had a uniform thickness. Contemplated shoe covers can also comprise cleats on the bottom surface to provide slip resistance.

This application claims priority to the following U.S. provisionalapplications: U.S. provisional application having Ser. No. 61/040568filed on Mar. 28, 2008; U.S. provisional application having Ser. No.61/047959 filed on Apr. 25, 2008; U.S. provisional application havingSer. No. 61/077060 filed on Jun. 30, 2008; and U.S. provisionalapplication having Ser. No. 61/087962 filed on Aug. 11, 2008. These andall other extrinsic materials discussed herein are incorporated byreference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in anincorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition ofthat term provided herein, the definition of that term provided hereinapplies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention is slip resistant coverings.

BACKGROUND

Producing a cost-effective slip resistant shoe covering is difficult dueto a number of issues surrounding the manufacturing process, among manyother issues. One such issue includes that a manufacturer requiresmultiple shoe cover molds of different sizes to make shoe differentsized shoe covers. To effectively cover a market, a manufacturer mustpurchase and maintain all the different molds, or correspondingequipment at great expense. Preferably a manufacture should be able toproduce shoe covers in a minimal number of sizes (e.g., one or twosizes) that can address the needs in the market. Additionally, a “onesized fits all” approach to shoe covers should not sacrifice shoeprotection or slip resistance in exchange for fit.

One example shoe cover that requires different mold sizes is describedin U.S. Pat. No. 6,948,261 to Grasso titled “Supplemental RemovableOutersole for Footwear” (September 2005). Grasso contemplates that aremovable cleated outersole can be attached to a shoe through the use ofan elastic band. Another example of a shoe cover that must bemanufactured in incremental sizes includes U.S. patent applicationpublication 2007/0175064 to Culton et al. titled “Waterproof ProtectiveOvershoe for Golf Shoes” (August 2007). Culton's overshoe also includespatterned tread for traction. Both of the above shoe covers require thecovers to be manufactured in different sizes for different sized shoes,which can be expensive.

Others have attempted to provide slip-resistant shoe covers where acover can fit a range of shoe sizes. For example, U.S. patentapplication publication 2008/0022555 to Mor et al. titled “Anti-SlipOvershoe” (January 2008) describes an anti-slip overshoe comprisingelastic bands that can be adjusted to fit various shoe sizes. Anotherexample includes U.S. patent application publication 2008/0301973 to LeeTsi titled “Non-Slip Shoe Cover for Various Slippery Conditions Such asSnow, Golf, Fishing and the Like” (December 2008). The Lee Tsai approachprovides for a non-slip shoe cover having multiple studs and protrusionswhere the cover has a large cutout on the sole. Although the Mor and LeeTsai coverings can fit shoes of different sizes, they fail (1) toprovide full coverage over the bottom, sole, or sides of a shoe, and (2)to adequately distribute stresses due to stretching across the covering.

The above cited references, or other known art, make a sacrifice ofprotection or slip resistance for fit, or vice versa. What has yet to beappreciated is that shoe coverings can be made without such sacrifices.For example, a shoe covers can comprise a material with a latticedsurface having variation in thickness, and that can address the issuesdescribed above while also providing many additional advantages. A shoecovering having a latticed surface allows the covering to stretchfurther than would ordinarily be possible for a surface havingsubstantially uniform thickness. Such a shoe covering produced at agiven size can be used to cover a larger range of shoe sizes than atraditional counterpart and can distribute stresses across the latticedsurface as opposed to having stresses localized to weak points along thecovering. One or two sizes of shoe coverings having latticed materialcan easily fit a spectrum of shoe sizes within the market while alsoretaining desired slip resistance or shoe protection.

Unless the context dictates the contrary, all ranges set forth hereinshould be interpreted as being inclusive of their endpoints andopen-ended ranges should be interpreted to include only commerciallypractical values. Similarly, all lists of values should be considered asinclusive of intermediate values unless the context indicates thecontrary.

Thus, there is still a need for slip-resistant coverings that providetraction, provide substantial shoe protection, distribute stresses, orthat fit shoes having a wide range of dimensions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventive subject matter provides apparatus, systems and methods inwhich a slip-resistant covering can be produced. In one aspect of theinventive subject matter a covering comprises a main body portionconfigured to elastically couple to a shoe, and a bottom coveringportion that covers a bottom surface or sole of the shoe. In a preferredembodiment, the bottom covering portion comprises a lattice of raisedsurfaces and depressions disposed on an external surface of the shoecover's bottom portion. The depressions can be extend partially into abase material forming the cover, or can extend completely through thecover to form a hole. The contemplated lattice forms a highlystretchable, slip resistant surface, and allows a single shoe cover tofit a wide range of shoe sizes or shapes. In a preferred embodiment, asingle shoe cover can stretch along a linear dimension by up to 400%, oreven more preferably up to 900%, without suffering substantial permanentdeformation. The ability of the covering to stretch can be furtherenhanced by including one or more stretch zones located on various sidesof the covering (e.g., top, bottom, sides, etc.).

In some embodiments, the main body and the bottom covering portion canbe manufactured from different materials, preferably differentelastomeric materials. It is contemplated that the bottom portion can bemade of a harder material than that used to make the main body.Providing a harder bottom portion is considered to improve the grippingcapability or slip-resistance of the latticed surface. Furthermore, theraised slip-resistant surfaces can be formed from yet another materialother than those used to form the remaining portions of the covering.For example, the raised slip-resistant surface could comprise a cleat ofa hard nitrile rubber, plastic, metal, wood, or other hard materials.

As used herein “lattice” is used euphemistically to reference arepeating unit cell that has having variations in thickness in acovering material, preferably including depressions. The repeating unitcell can have a regular or irregular shape as discussed below. However,in a preferred embodiment the repeating structure comprises asubstantially regular pattern.

As used herein, the term “cleat” is used to reference a raised surfaceor “island” protruding from the bottom surface of the shoe coversurrounded by a base surface. Contemplated cleats can include spikes,studs, pyramids, or other projections. One should note that a cleat canhave a regular polygon (e.g., circle, triangle, square, pentagon,hexagon, etc.) head surface, or irregularly shaped head surface.

Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventivesubject matter will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanyingdrawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a schematic of a possible embodiment of a slip resistant shoecover.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of possible embodiment of a bottom portion ofa slip resistant shoe cover having a lattice of raised slip resistantsurfaces and stretchable depressions.

FIG. 3A is an illustration of possible unit cells used to form thelattice on the bottom portion of the shoe cover in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3B is a schematic of a few possible configurations of unit cellsthat can be used to form a lattice.

FIG. 4 is a schematic of a side, cut view of a bottom portion of a shoecover showing raised slip resistant surfaces and stretchabledepressions.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a bottom portion of a prototype shoe cover.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of a prototype shoe cover disposed on a shoe.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a close-up view of raised slip-resistantsurfaces on a bottom portion of a prototype shoe cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The inventive subject matter is presented using an elastic shoe coveringas an example. One should appreciate that the inventive concepts, in anycombination, can equally apply to other coverings that could requireadditional traction or slip-resistance. Other coverings that couldbenefit from disclosed techniques include gloves, socks, floor mats,tires, or other surface covers. In fact, all surfaces are contemplated.In a similar vein, the term “shoe” is used euphemistically to representany footwear (e.g., boots, sandals, shoe, etc.) and should not beinterpreted as limiting the inventive concepts to a shoe per se.

In FIG. 1, covering 100 is embodied as a shoe cover. “Covering” and“shoe cover” are used interchangeably within this document. Shoe cover100 comprises main body 160 coupled to one or more bottom portions 150that collectively represent a sole of cover 100. Bottom portion 150preferably comprises a plurality of raised slip-resistant surfaces 155,which can be embodied by cleats possibly having gripping cup 157. Forreference purposes, shoe covering 100 includes toe portion 120 considerto be the “front” of the covering, and include heel portion 110considered to be the “rear” of the covering. Shoe cover 100 can alsoinclude one or more stretch zones 165 that can allows shoe cover 100 toaccommodate a large range of shoes having different dimensions (e.g.,width, length, etc.).

In a preferred embodiment, shoe cover 100 comprises a single piecedesign. Shoe cover 100 preferably comprises one or more materialscapable of stretching, preferably elastomeric materials.

Main covering body 160 is preferably formed or molded from a soft,elastomeric material capable of stretching to elastically couple to ashoe, possibly by at least partially enveloping the shoe. Preferredelastomeric materials have one or more of the following properties: canbe molded into a desired shape, temperature resistant, water resistantor water proof, or substantially chemically inactive. Acceptableelastomeric materials can include natural rubber, syntheticpolyisoprene, polybutadiene, styrene-butadine rubber, or otherelastomeric compounds. A preferred embodiment employs a nitrile rubber.

Main body 160 can also comprise one or more reinforced areas that wouldallow cover 100 to resist tearing or becoming substantially deformed.For example, a thicker layer of material can be deposited near toe 120or heel 110, or another material can be bonded in the various areas thatwould benefit from reinforcement. It is contemplated that othermaterials including cloth weaves, plastics, other elastomeric compounds,or other reinforcements can be used. It is also contemplated that toe120 or heel 110 could include reinforced stretch zones that wouldprovide cover 100 a better hold on a shoe while also providingresistance to tearing.

Bottom portion 150 can comprise one or more regions on the bottom ofcovering 100. In some embodiments, bottom portion 150 is a single regionsubstantially covering the sole of a shoe. However, it is alsocontemplated that bottom portion 150 could comprise multiple, distinctregions. For example, a first region could be deployed toward the frontof covering 100 and a second region could be deployed rearward near heel110. Any number of regions can be used to form bottom portion 150.

Bottom portion 150 can be formed from similar, if not the same,elastomeric materials as body 160. In a preferred embodiment, bottomportion 150 comprises a second, different elastomeric material than body160, possibly a harder material. Furthermore, raised surfaces 155 can bemade of the same material as bottom portion 150, or a third, alternativematerial from main body 160 or bottom portion 150. Raised surface 155are not required to be formed from an elastomeric material and couldcomprise metal, plastic, wood, or other material. However, preferredsurfaces 155 are of a harder material than the rest of the shoecovering. For example, the cleats can comprise a harder elastomericmaterial, e.g., a nitrile rubber, while the surrounding material wouldbe a softer version of the rubber, or even a different material alltogether. The softer rubber provides highly elastic properties so theshoe cover stretches over many different sizes of shoes, while hardraised surfaces 155 increase traction, or decrease wear.

Shoe cover 100 as contemplated can be manufactured using a suitablyshaped mold. The elastomeric materials can be co-vulcanized by disposingone or more initial elastomers in the mold for the raised surfaces 155(e.g., cleats) followed by disposing additional elastomers in the moldfor the bottom covering portion 150 and main covering body 160. It iscontemplated that the elastomers can be placed in the mold in their rawstates. The materials can then be heated in the mold to co-vulcanizethem together to from single piece shoe cover 100. One skilled in theart will recognize that multiple layers or materials can also be used toform the shoe cover while still falling within the scope of theinventive subject matter. Additionally, the material used to form mainbody 160 can be over-molded or co-molded to raised surfaces 155. In suchan approach the material of main body 160 forms the connecting bondsamong raised surfaces 155 and thereby forms or becomes bottom portion150.

It is contemplated that main body 160, bottom portion(s) 150, and raisedsurfaces 155 can all be of the same material, or different materials inany combination. Furthermore, raised surfaces 155 could comprise aheterogeneous mix of materials. For example, in embodiments wheresurfaces 155 are cleats, the cleats near the front and rear could bemade of a harder material than those cleats near the middle of thecovering.

Acceptable manufacturing steps or configurations can also be found inco-owned pending U.S. patent application having Ser. No. 11/867638,titled “Elastic Overshoe with Sandwiched Sole Pads” filed on Oct. 4,2007.

Stretch zone 165 preferably includes a region on shoe cover 100,preferably on main covering body 160, having an array of depressionswithin the material used to make cover 100. Depressions in the materialrepresent spaces where the material is thinner than surrounding areasand allows the base material to stretch further than would otherwise bepermitted without the depressions. The depressions can be made to anydepth into the material, and can include holes through the material. Apreferred embodiment has depressions that are at least half thethickness of the base material. Covers 100 that have non-holedepressions provide additional protection to a shoe, or other footwear,by reducing risk of exposure to water, liquids, chemicals, dust, orother contaminants.

The depressions within stretch zone 165 can be configured through manydifference processes. One example includes molding the depressions intothe material during vulcanization. Another example includes cuttingholes in the material, possibly after manufacture, to form a stretchablemesh.

FIG. 1 illustrates that one or more zones 165 can be placed on the sidesof the cover 100. Such a configuration allows cover 100 to stretch inlength to fit a wide range of shoe sizes. Stretch zones 165, possibly inconjunction with the latticed structure of bottom portion 150, allowscover 100 to stretch up to about 400% in a linear dimension, and morepreferably up to about 900% in a linear dimension without sufferingpermanent deformation. Zones 165 can also be placed in other positionson cover 100 to allow stretching in length, width, depth, or along anyother desirable dimensions. It is also specifically contemplated thatmain body 160 could be configured as a single stretch zone, possibly asa mesh of cut holes.

Cover 100 preferably is able to stretch without suffering substantialpermanent deformation, which is considered to mean that cover 100 canreturn to its initial size or shape within a 5% tolerance afterstretching, or more preferably does not tear or rip.

FIG. 2 present a schematic of an embodiment of a shoe cover's bottomportion 250. It is contemplated that many alternative patterns arepossible. The pattern presented should be considered an example forillustration purposes. Other patterns are also contemplated. A preferredpattern comprises a lattice of repeating unit cells (see discussionbelow) where each cell has one or more raised slip-resistant surface 255that protrudes outward from the base 251 material and one or moredepressions 253 that extend into the base 251 material. In a preferredembodiment, raised surfaces 255 comprise cleats that are “islands” ofraised material surround by base 251. Additionally, depression 253 canalso be a recessed area surrounded by base 25 1.

The lattice shown in FIG. 2 is color coded for clarity. Grey is used torepresent base 251 that is considered to be of a neutral elevation.Black is used to represent raised surfaces 255 (e.g., cleats) that havea raised surface elevation relative to and protrude outward from greybase 251. White is use to represent depressions 253 that have a lowersurface elevation relative to and extends into grey base 25 1. Base 251also represents an external surface bottom portion 250 that is a surfaceintermediary between raised surface 255 and the surface withindepression 253. Preferably base 251 extends across, and substantiallycovers, bottom portion 250. It is also contemplated that base 251 couldextend only over the front portion or rear portion of bottom 250, wherean non-latticed section separates the front from the rear portions,possibly accommodating a contour of a user's foot.

The lattice structure can be deployed over the entire bottom of a shoecover as shown, or can be disposed within one or more distinct regionson the bottom. For example, in one embodiment, the lattice can bedispose at only at the front and at the rear of the shoe cover. It isalso contemplated that the each region could also comprise distinctsub-regions.

One should note that raised surfaces 255 or depression 253 do notnecessarily have to comprises homogeneous shapes. For example, as shown,raises surfaces 255 comprise two types of cleats. A first type of cleatis a roughly circular cleat comprising eight protruding trianglesextending outward from the end or head of the cleat (see also FIG. 5). Asecond type of cleat is chevron shaped cleat comprising multiplepolygons. Depression 253 could also comprise different shapes as opposedto a single shape as shown. In a preferred embodiment, raised surfaces255 and depressions 253 form a unit cell that is repeated to tessellatea region of bottom portion 250, where at least one unit cell can beadjacent to another unit cell on all sides.

FIG. 3A illustrates several possible unit cells 300A, 300B, or 300C,collectively referred to as cells 300, of the bottom portion 250 in FIG.2. Unit cells 300 represent a small subset of possible unit cells, forthe illustrated pattern. Unit cells 300 present different possible unitcells than can be used to tessellate bottom portion 250 of a shoe cover.One should note that even though the unit cells 300 are different, theresulting pattern across the bottom of the cover is the same. Note thatunit cell 300A has depressions at the left and right side, while unitcell 300B has the depressions at the top and bottom, and yet unit cell300C has the depression at the corners.

Of particular note is that unit cells 300 all have the same ratio ofraised surface area (RA) to the area of the depressions (DA). The ratio(RA/DA) is particularity useful as a measure of slip resistance relativeto ability to stretch in order to accommodate different sized footwear.Preferred unit cells have a ratio (RA/DA) of more than about 0.5 andless than about 4, and more preferably about 2. Covers that have a ratioless than 0.5 are thought to suffer tears or breaks more often thandesirable, and covers having a ratio greater than four are thought tolack sufficient capacity to stretch to the extent necessary toaccommodate a larger range of shoe sizes (e.g., stretch up to 400%, oreven up to 900%). The total area of raised and depressed areas (RA+DA)is preferably at least 40%. It is also contemplated that the total area(RA+DA) can be about 50%, 60%, 70%, or even up to 90% of the area of theunit cell.

FIG. 3B illustrates that unit cells can be of different sizes and shapesto form lattices 350A, 350B, or 350C, collectively referred to aslattices 350. Unit cells can be regular polygons (e.g., equilateraltriangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons, etc.), irregular polygons(e.g., trapezoids, rhombi, triangles, rectangles, etc.), or other shapesthat can tile a surface. For example, lattice 350A comprises rectangularunit cells; lattice 350B comprises trapezoid unit cells; and lattice350C comprises rhomboid unit cells.

It is also contemplated that a lattice could comprise two, three, ormore different types of polygons to tessellate the bottom portion of ashoe cover. For example, octagons and squares can be used to tile aregion. Alternatively, triangles and pentagons can be used to tile aregion.

A unit cell as minimum width, W, as shown in lattices 350. With respectto a shoe cover, the minimum width of a unit cell is preferably lessthan two centimeters, and more preferably less than one centimeter, butalso preferably greater than 0.25 centimeters. Other types of coverings(e.g., gloves, floor mats, tires, etc.) would likely have differentpreferred minimum widths. For example, gloves would likely have unitcells with very small widths, possibly less than 0.5 centimeters, oreven less than 0.1 centimeters; where a tire might have unit cellshaving a minimum width greater than 4 centimeters.

In FIG. 4, a schematic of a side, cut view of a shoe cover's bottomportion 450 is presented. Bottom portion 450 comprises base 451extending laterally along the bottom of a shoe cover, where base 451 hasa thickness, T. Base 451 has a first, internal surface 458 that would beplaced adjacent to a shoe sole and a second, external surface 459 thatwould be exposed. Raised surfaces 455 protrude outward from externalsurface 459 by height, H, and depression 453 extends into externalsurface 459 toward internal surface 458 by a depth, D.

In a preferred embodiment, thickness, T, for a shoe cover is preferablyin the range from about 0.5 millimeters to about 5 millimeters. Depth,D, is preferably greater than about 0.5 T (i.e., one half of the valueof T), more preferably greater than 0.7 T, and yet more preferably about0.9 T. In some embodiments, depth, D, remains less than the thickness Tto ensure full protection across the sole of a shoe against undesirableconditions, caustic chemicals for example. In other embodiments whereprotection is less necessary, but ability to stretch or flex is moreimportant, depth, D, can be equal to T to form a hole through base 451.

Raised surface 455, shown as a cleat, can extend from external surface459 by height, H, as necessary. H is preferably at least one millimeter.Although any height can be used to fit the target use of the cover. Inthis instance, and where other bounding limits are not expressly stated,the reader should infer a reasonable bounding limit. In this instance,for example, a commercially reasonable upper limit is about for height,H, is about one centimeter for a shoe cover.

It is also contemplated that raised surface 455 could comprises furthersurface features at the end or head of surfaces 455 that could enhancetheir slip-resistant natures. For example, the surface features locatedat the head portion of surfaces 455 could include protrusions 463 or cup457. Alternative surface features could include textures, studs, or thelike.

In embodiments with gripping cup 457, cup 457 preferably has adepression surrounded by a raised rim 461, possibly a molded bead thatat least partially surrounds cup 457. In some embodiments, cup 457 hasan approximately concave surface. Cup 457 has a preferred depth of aboutor less than 1 mm for a shoe cover, although all depths arecontemplated. One should appreciate that the depression-rim structure ofgripping cup 457 forms a suction cup-like structure. As a person walks,rim 461 squeegees liquid away from cup 457 while cup 457 grips thecontacting surface.

FIG. 5 depicts a prototype bottom portion 550 of a shoe cover having apattern similar to that illustrated in FIG. 2. Bottom portion 550comprises a nitrile rubber having cleats 555 with depressions 553intermixed among cleats 555. Note depressions 553 do not extend throughthe base 551, but rather are thinner than the thickness of base 551.Furthermore cleats 553 are surround by external surface of base 551.Cleats 555 are configured with additional surface features protrudingfrom the head end of the cleats. The surface features comprise wedgeshape areas separated from each other by thin gaps. The thin gaps areconsidered to allow cleats 555 some ability to stretch.

FIG. 6 presents a side and a bottom view of a shoe having an exampleshoe cover 600 that employs many of the techniques disclosed above. Shoecover 600 has a lattice structure comprising cleats 655 and depressions653 (e.g., holes) on the bottom. The lattice provides the necessarystretch while the cleats provide slip resistance. Note that depressions653 are holes through the base material.

FIG. 7 presents yet another embodiment showing a close-up view of bottomportion 750 detailing cleats 755. In the illustrated embodiment, cleats755 comprise a gripping end having a gripping cup 757 defined by rim761. Base 751 surrounds cleats 755 and forms channels for liquid to flowaway from cleats 755. Note that cleats 755 can also include a texturedsurface within cup 757, which can further enhance the slip-resistanceproperties of a shoe cover.

The dimensions disclosed above with respect to a shoe covering have beenfound to be effective for the various possible embodiments of a shoecover, and are not mere design choices. However, the various dimensionscan be adjusted as necessary to fit the functionality for other typescoverings. For example, a glove having the contemplated covering wouldlikely have raised slip-resistant surfaces that are 1 mm or less inheight. A floor mat or tire would likely have larger dimensions.

It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many moremodifications besides those already described are possible withoutdeparting from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subjectmatter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of theappended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification andthe claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possiblemanner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises”and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements,components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that thereferenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized,or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are notexpressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at leastone of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C . . . andN, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from thegroup, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.

1. A slip-resistant shoe cover, comprising: a main covering bodyconfigured to elastically couple to a shoe; a bottom covering portioncoupled to the main body, and configured to elastically cover a bottomsurface of the shoe; and wherein an external surface of the bottomportion comprises a lattice of (a) raised slip-resistant surfacesprotruding outward from the external surface and (b) stretchabledepressions recessed into the external surface, where the depressionsare intermixed among the raised surfaces.
 2. The shoe cover of claim 1,wherein the main covering body comprises a first elastomeric material.3. The shoe cover of claim 2, wherein the bottom covering portioncomprises at least a second elastomeric material.
 4. The shoe cover ofclaim 3, wherein the second elastomeric material is different than thefirst elastomeric material.
 5. The shoe cover of claim 3, wherein thesecond elastomeric material is harder than the first elastomericmaterial.
 6. The shoe cover of claim 3, wherein the second elastomericmaterial comprises a nitrile rubber.
 7. The shoe cover of claim 1,wherein the raised surface includes a cleat.
 8. The shoe cover of claim7, wherein the cleat comprises a gripping cup.
 9. The shoe cover ofclaim 7, wherein the cleat is configured to stretch.
 10. The shoe coverof claim 7, wherein the cleat comprises a material other than that usedto form the bottom covering portion.
 11. The shoe cover of claim 1,wherein at least a portion of the main covering body comprises a stretchzone.
 12. The shoe cover of claim 11, wherein the stretch zone comprisesan array of depressions.
 13. The shoe cover of claim 12, wherein thedepressions comprise holes through a material forming the main coveringbody.
 14. The shoe cover of claim 11, wherein the stretch zone islocated on a side of the main covering body.
 15. The shoe cover of claim1 1, wherein the cover comprises multiple stretch zones located on atleast two sides of the cover.
 16. The shoe cover of claim 1, wherein thebottom covering portion has a base thickness, T, and where thedepressions extend into the bottom covering portion to a depth, D, thatis at least 0.5 T.
 17. The shoe cover of claim 16, wherein the depth, D,is at least 0.7 T.
 18. The shoe cover of claim 17, wherein the depth, D,is at least 0.9 T.
 19. The shoe cover of claim 18, wherein thedepressions are holes through the bottom covering portion.
 20. The shoecover of claim 16 wherein T is in the range of about 0.5 millimeters toabout five millimeters, inclusively.
 21. The shoe cover of claim 1,wherein the lattice comprises a regular, repeating pattern having a unitcell with a smallest dimension of less than two centimeters.
 22. Theshoe cover of claim 21, wherein the unit cell has a shape other than arectangle.
 23. The shoe cover of claim 1, wherein the cover isconfigured to stretch along a linear dimension up to 900% withoutsubstantially deforming the cover.
 24. The shoe cover of claim 23,wherein the cover is configured to stretch along the linear dimension upto 400% without substantially deforming the cover.